Ranga Model 8B Group Buy- Infinite Beautiful Colour And Nib Choices

[mpkandan]

  On 7/19/2018 at 1:06 PM, bbs said:

Many thanks for your help, Mr Kandan, I think the pens do suit the swapped nibs better. What do you think? Plus evidence that these group buys are a great way to accumulate lovely pens ... The top two in the last photo are my new Model 8Bs (which I think are my favourite model so far), the second two are Model 8s, the solid orange is a Model 4 and the last a giant Model 5.

 

I'm now hoping for another Model 3 group buy with all the lovely premium ebonites!

 

image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg

Respected bbs,

 

Thanks a lot for your nice words and wonderful pictures. They are really superb.

We don't have plan for Model 3 Group buy in next 6 months:)

 

Regards,

Kandan.M.P

Ranga Pen Company

[mpkandan]

Dear All,

 

Thanks a lot for tremendous support to this Group Buy. It has crossed 150+ so far

All the pens would be shipped on or before 28th July.

We are closing out this Group buy on 22nd July.

Thanks for your Support.

 

 

Dear Mr.Vaibhav Sir,

 

Thanks again for making this happen.

 

Regards,

Kandan.M.P

Ranga Pen Company

[mpkandan]

Dear FPN'ers,

 

Thanks all for making this Group Buy a great Success. We are closing this Group Buy with high note (155+ paid orders)

All the pens would be shipped in 3-4 days.

We will see you soon in another Group Buy very Shortly:)

 

Dear FPN Team / Mr.Vaibhav Sir,

 

Big thanks for your support

 

Regards,

Kandan.M.P

Ranga Pen Company

[kfoss]

My pen finally came! This is one of the most comfortable pens Ive ever used, the threads are cut beautifully. I can't wait to put down some pages in my journal with it.

[Jobesmirage]

Oh damn, I missed this one. The pens look great though!

[sansenri]

I received mine a few weeks ago but only had time to post pictures now.

The forest green-olive ripple is a nice soft looking colour combo (which is a nice change from some other combinations which have turned out darker than expected). I choose bakul knowing there would be low contrast between the two colours and the result is as I was expecting (always difficult with ebonite).

 

The pen shape is one I have already come to like, particularly the section shape is very comfortable. The best Ranga shape so far IMO.

 

The bakul finish is very nice in the hand, ebonite does feel like a natural material, non-plastic, and bakul increases this effect

 

my only slight regret is the Kanwrite nib, which I wanted to try due to the flexibility claim. I cannot feel much flex to it and will probably attempt a swop with a Bock nib, or other #6 nib lying around (I wonder if a Stipula nib would fit in)

Many thanks to Ranga as always

Edited July 28, 2018 by sansenri

[mhguda]

I find the flex of this nib very subtle, and that is why I like it, even if the nib is not feeling very soft. In fact I see the subtle flex in the line that goes down, but when I write I don't exactly feel the nib flexing - it feels a bit like a nail... The effect is more pronounced if you pull the nib and feed out slightly, btw.

[sansenri]

I will give the Kanwrite further testing, however swapping nib with some available #6 in my drawer will be an interesting detour.

 

I am particularly curious to know the difference (if any) between the feed that goes with the Kanwrite and the other regular Ranga feed that I received in the box (they look different).

Perhaps Mr. Kandan can advise if there is any specific difference and whether I can fit a Bock nib with either feed, or if there is a preference of feed depending on the nib in order to get best performance.

(I will do my own testing in any case )

[sansenri]

Well, I did test further, but the outcome is not thrilling (although it was fun).

 

As suggested by mhguda (thanks), I did pull the nib out slightly which does give a margin more flex, not a great deal though, and in this position the feeder tends to move out of place (misaligned with the nib).

So I went on to test a few other #6 nibs, making also use of some spare ebonite feeds received with other Ranga pens

(thank you Ranga, I love the extra feeder bonuses, even more than the freebie pens...).

 

I first tried a Stipula nib, both a steel M and a 14k 1.1 stub, unfortunately both of them are much thinner than the Kanwrite, so they slip down the section too easily and the nib cannot be placed in the correct position. Even positioned loosely they do write and it's a big difference with the Kanwrite, but they are not firm enough into the section to be used.

 

Next test was with a Delta 18k Millennium nib F.

Absolutely wonderful nib, but same problem again the section is far too wide to hold this nib properly.

 

Further test with a Bexley 18K M nib.

Lovely nib, but far too loose again in this Ranga.

 

I then tested a Jowo steel nib B (disassembled a Jowo nib group by pulling out nib and feed from the collar, it's really very easy to do).

Slightly better but still too loose, the Jowo is ever so smooth though.

 

Last test I took out a Bock steel nib M from another Ranga 8B.

It came closer than all the other tests above, but still no sigar.

There is still some slack.

 

I made an inverse test, I tried fitting the Kanwrite in the other 8B. Too tight!

(I also tried fitting the Stipula, Delta, Bexley and Jowo in it, slightly too loose!)

 

In practice the Kanwrite seems to be made from a very thick sheet of steel, so the section of my Ranga 8B green-olive ripples is machined to hold this combo and will not take other nibs I own (i.e. they all fit too loose), despite all nibs looked as they would match well with the feeder (some testing with ink confirmed they would, no hard starts and very nice flow).

 

I tested both the feeder that came with the Kanwrite, and also other spare Ranga feeders I have (about 6 different ones), but the result does not change, all feeders looked alike in width and made no difference.

 

The interesting lesson learned is that the tested nibs are not the same thickness,

The Kanwrite is much thicker than the others, then comes the Bock, then the Jowo, then possibly the Bexley, the Delta and the Stipula (even the steel one) are even thinner than the other nibs.

 

I will probably keep this ED Ranga with the Kanwrite nib (unless I can ask Mr. Kandan to send me a slightly larger feed...),

I will now probably play around with my other ED Rangas to see whether I can swop in some other nibs...

(I have a Stipula titanium nib somewhere that I did not test... )

 

 

[mhguda]

Thanks for that extensive write-up. Good to know!

Just thinking aloud here. With those other, too-thin nibs, would heat-setting the nib/feed assembly work? Presumably one of the spare nibs so that you keep the one that you know has a good fit, unchanged... Heat-setting is supposed to force the feed to adjust its shape to the nib and the inside of the section... so might it expand slightly, so the nib had a tighter fit? However, I have not really tried this... so it really is an open question, and if you try this, I'd be very very interested in hearing the outcome!

[sansenri]

no, it will not help. The problem is that the hole in the section is too wide, so, since the nib is friction fit, friction is insufficient with these nibs (that are thinner) to set them properly (i.e the nib goes right down the hole...), I do not think that heating the feed will expand it, it may bend it to adhere closer to the nib, but that is not the issue.

 

Solution is either a slightly wider feed or slightly tighter section... (both of these could be attempted by Ranga, but in reality it was me who chose the Kanwrite nib, so I am not in the right to ask...)

Edited July 30, 2018 by sansenri

[mhguda]

Here is where I might resort to teflon tape around the nib & feed. Or live with the stiff Kanwrite nib, of course. Experience with them says at some point they become slightly flexier, but it's still fairly subtle.

[inky-finger]

  On 7/30/2018 at 9:50 PM, mhguda said:

Here is where I might resort to teflon tape around the nib & feed. Or live with the stiff Kanwrite nib, of course. Experience with them says at some point they become slightly flexier, but it's still fairly subtle.

I used duct tape no glue to installed Jinhao 992' nib to my Indian ebonite FP with ED filling system. It works for me and no inkflow issues.

Edited July 31, 2018 by Pitolott

[sansenri]

Thanks, I did think about using tape to thicken the top part of the nib, I am just wondering if it will affect flow, but it's worth trying, I suppose it should work as long as the tape does not obstruct the ink channel.

 

I am giving the Kanwrite a chance at the moment, it's not a nasty nib especially after I gave it a quick run on micromesh 12000, it was slightly too scratchy initially.

I will also give it some writing exercise to see if it loosens up a little...

Edited July 31, 2018 by sansenri

[mhguda]

If and when I resort to teflon (plumber's) tape, I do one or maybe two layers all around the nib and feed assembly, and try to make all of it fit inside the section so I don't see it when I write. It works so well I usually forget about it... although sometimes when it comes time for maintenance and I pull the assembly, it shows up. Then it gets renewed.

But yes, try the Kanwrite for a while. I have a number of them, actually, and while they do not soften very much (I guess I haven't had any of them long enough for that!) they sort of grew on me...I really like them. Hopefully you will, too.

[DrScholl]

Hello all.

I just received mine today, here's a review with a few photographs.

I wrote just about the same on the French forum www.stylo-plume.org, might as well recycle

 

 

Unboxing :
http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga1.JPG

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga2.JPG

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga3.JPG

The Schmidt converter, and the M Jowo nib
http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga4.JPG

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga5.JPG

Quick writing sample, inked with Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün. The nib has little flex but is very smooth, with a nice wet flow.
http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga.jpg

On the whole I like this pen a lot, it has its own soul and character...

[mpkandan]

  On 8/4/2018 at 11:52 AM, DrScholl said:

Hello all.

I just received mine today, here's a review with a few photographs.

I wrote just about the same on the French forum www.stylo-plume.org, might as well recycle

 

 

Unboxing :

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga1.JPG

 

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga2.JPG

 

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga3.JPG

 

The Schmidt converter, and the M Jowo nib

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga4.JPG

 

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga5.JPG

 

Quick writing sample, inked with Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün. The nib has little flex but is very smooth, with a nice wet flow.

http://lezardblues.free.fr/stylos/ranga/ranga.jpg

 

On the whole I like this pen a lot, it has its own soul and character...

 

Thanks a lot Sir or your nice words and pictures

 

REgards,

Kandan.M.P

Ranga Pen Company

[sansenri]

nice colour DrScholl, I would say yours is spot on British Racing green!

[Folgefonna]

I received my Ranga 8b demonstrator with Kanwrite flex nib some days ago - quick shipping, thumbs up! Happy with the good packacking and the free extra pen, good customer service as the times before I ordered from Ranga.

 

However, I experience problems with the 8b - it doesn't write. Nothing at all. I have cleansed and flushed it thoroughly (as I do with all new pens), even put in both a different nib and different feed - nothing, tried various positions of both feed and nib. It doesn't write. (And yes, it's inked up )

Does anyone experience same issues? Any hints for troubleshooting? Thanks in advance.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Folgefonna

[mhguda]

Have you tried priming the nib and feed? Turn the barrel as if you're opening it, but not all the way. Turn upside down (over your inkwell!) and close it tight again. Clean off possible ink on the threads. Try again. If that does not help, maybe try opening the tines a little bit. You should be able to pull them apart a little from the shoulders, using your thumbs.